What’s a girl to do when it is Friday or Saturday night and you want to find a quiet place to sit in a bar and sip some wine, beer or liqueur? I love Cafe Pompei because no one seems to know that there’s a small bar tucked away in the back of the restaurant. The North End is busy year round, especially on fridays and saturdays. When I don’t feel like being in the middle of a busy social scene, this is where I go.
It’s perfect if you’re in a small group and you want to find a place to share some appetizers, talk, and drink. It is attached to a restaurant and pastry/gelataria shop. We always gravitate towards the same small, round table. My husband orders a Leffe, a Belgian beer they actually have on tap. If they serve it at the restaurant or pastra shop, you can get it at the bar. I’ve ordered pasta fagioli, wine fried calamari, and gelato, at my various visits. I’ve enjoyed them all.
When we go out, this is usually the first place we hit. Since we usually have he bar area to ourselves, this is an excellent place to meet with friends and figure out where we want to spend the rest of the evening.
Though I love it here, I’ve encountered two small problems. First, this isn’t really the place to go if you want cocktails. They have a limited bar but an extensive wine list. Also, one of the main attractions to Cafe Pompei is the Belgian beer, and by the time we get there, the tap is dry. Despite this, I still love it and will continue to go back.
at Boston’s North End
280 Hanover Street
Boston, MA